


Coming Home

by WyldeWombat (orphan_account)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Alternate Universe - Military, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Dialogue Heavy, M/M, Mates, Soldier Derek, not cannon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-25 06:22:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3800134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/WyldeWombat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek joined the military over four years ago, and Stiles doesn't get to see his mate very much. In fact, he hasn't seen Derek in over a year. Little does he know, Derek is coming home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been watching those gut-wrenchingly wonderful videos on YouTube of soldiers coming home, and it dug up so many old memories for me. There is a huge age gap between my brothers and I, and both of them went into the military when they graduated. I was just a kid at the time. I know exactly what it’s like to be one of those kids getting so incredibly excited to see their big brother come home for the first time in months, even years. That inspired this story. 
> 
> That, and one of my favorite headcannons is soldier!Derek…..

Derek woke to a loud knock on his door just before the door opened and someone stuck their head in. “Hale, get up. Wheels up in 20 minutes!”  

“Shit,” Derek said, jumping up and grabbing his boots. “I told you to wake me up.”  

“What do you think I just did?”  

Derek snorted and glanced up at his friend, Justin Ellis. “I figured you’d give me more warning than 20 minutes, Ellis.”  

“You should have been more specific with your request, Hale.”  

“You’re a crappy second.”  

“I keep your life exciting,” Justin smirked.   

Derek stood up and grabbed his bag, grateful he packed the night before. “Ok, let’s go.”  

Ellis slung his arm around Derek’s shoulders as they walked toward the plane waiting for them, along with the rest of their squad. “I’m still coming with you, right?”  

“Only if you want to,” Derek replied. “I could certainly use the help pulling off the surprise, though.”  

“I’ll take your pack over mine any day.”  

“You haven’t even met my pack. You might reconsider.”  

Ellis frowned, suddenly serious. “Derek, you’ve been my alpha since I met you when I was still in boot camp, and I told you a long time ago I’d join your pack. I’m not backing out now. Besides, your place is a hell of a lot closer to our next home away from home.”

Derek grinned. “Good. Let’s go.” 

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Heard anything from Derek lately?" 

Stiles sighed and glanced up at his dad. The sheriff was picking at the salad in front of him, clearly not interested in eating it. 

"Unfortunately, no," Stiles replied. "He had some sort of mission coming up when I last spoke to him. He wouldn't be able to call me until after it was over, and he had no idea if he'd be home after or if he'd get another mission." Stiles looked down at his hands in his lap. "That was six months ago...." 

"You're worried." 

Stiles smiled weakly at his dad. "You have no idea." 

"No news is good news, in Derek's line of work." 

"I just haven’t seen him in well over a year, and I haven’t spoken to him in six months. It’s hard, especially when I don’t know where he is or when he’ll be back or anything. The only way I’ll ever know anything is if he either calls or an official shows up at my door.”

“It’s not like this is the first time you’ve been through this. You knew what was coming when he told you about the special ops team he’d be joining. A team entirely of werewolves, Stiles…”

“I know,” Stiles sighed, looking over at his dad. “I just didn’t realize it would be this hard.”

The sheriff smiled sadly and got up. He made his way around his desk and leaned against it as he placed his hand on his son’s shoulder. “I know, but it will be okay. Derek loves you.”

“I know. I just hope he comes home soon.”

“He will,” the sheriff said. “After all, he has you.”

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

 “Damn, it’s weird getting off a civilian plane.”

“You can say that again,” Derek agreed as he and Justin Ellis dumped their bags into the trunk of a large hummer fitting for two werewolf soldiers. “I can’t believe you rented _this_ , of all things.”

“We have to get to your pack somehow,” Justin replied with a shrug. “After everything you’ve done for me, I figured it was the least I could do. If you’d been left to pick, you would have went with the cheap route. I went for comfort.”

“You usually do,” Derek replied with an amused snort.

Justin smirked. “Let’s just get you home, Sir. I’m tired of hearing about your hot little piece of ass. I’d like to meet him.”

Derek just shook his head and climbed into the passenger seat of the hummer. “Don’t let him hear you call him that.”

“He doesn’t scare me.”

Derek smirked at that. “He should.”

“Oh? Got yourself a feisty one, I take it?”

“That’s one way to put it.”

Justin grinned. “Good. He’d need to be to put up with your stubborn ass.”

Derek laughed. “Yeah, I love you too, man.”

Justin just slapped him on the shoulder. “Beacon Hills, right?”

“Right.”

“Moving out. If you want, catch up on sleep. I know you don’t sleep well on planes.”

“Too many strangers,” Derek shrugged. “You, however, slept like a rock.”

“Of course I did,” Justin replied as if it was no big deal. “Two days of lay-overs and travel where all we did was hurry up and wait made me exhausted, so I slept. Why shouldn’t I? My alpha was right beside me, watching my six like he always does.”

Derek didn’t reply, but he couldn’t keep the small smile off his face. The other man already considered him his alpha. While Derek already knew this, he still couldn’t help the rush of pride that washed over him knowing his second-in-command was definitely joining his pack. “Do you want an official joining ceremony?” Derek asked curiously.

“I take it your pack doesn’t normally do that?”

“They’re young and mostly bitten-wolves, so they probably haven’t even heard of one. The only born wolves are my uncle, my sister, and I. My sister and uncle are unpredictable and moody at times, so they aren’t always around. At least, that’s how it was when I was home last.”

“When was that, anyway?”

“Seventeen months.”

Justin let out a low whistle. “You haven’t seen your pack or, more importantly, your _mate_ , in seventeen months?”

“I’ve been with you losers the whole time,” Derek replied. “I haven’t even spoken to Stiles since before we left for the mission.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to call him and tell him you’re coming?” Justin asked, suddenly looking concerned. “He’s probably worried.”

“I know he’s worried,” Derek replied. “However, I also know I’m fine. I’m on my way home to him. The look on his face will be worth it, especially with what we have planned.”

“The look on your pack’s face will be worth it, I’m sure,” Justin replied. “Especially when they realize you brought company.”

“They’ll like you,” Derek said. “You’ll see.”

“Just get some sleep, Hale. You look tired. I’ll wake you up when we’re at the border of town. Are we still going to the sheriff’s station first?”

“Yeah,” Derek nodded. “Start with the sheriff. He’ll be able to tell me exactly where Stiles and the rest of the pack are.”

“Sheriff’s station it is!”

Derek just grinned and sank into his seat, settling in for a nap. Compared to where he’d been sleeping the last few months, the hummer was practically a five-star motel. He slept for three hours, not even waking when they stopped to refill on fuel. He probably would have slept for longer, if Ellis hadn’t woken him up.

 “Derek, wake up,” Justin said, slapping the other man on his thigh. “We’re almost at the sheriff’s station.”

“I thought you were going to wake me up at the town border.”

“I changed my mind,” Ellis shrugged. “I’ll go in first, then you follow.”

“He’s going to panic seeing another soldier here before seeing me,” Derek replied.

“All the more reason for you not to take too long, so he doesn’t have that heart attack you say your little mate is always ranting about.”

“I can’t wait until the two of you meet,” Derek snorted. “You’re either going to get along spectacularly or it’s going to be a blood-bath.”

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

“I need to see the sheriff.”

“Do you have an appointment?” John heard one of his deputies ask.

“No, but trust me, he’ll want to see me,” a strange voice replied.

“Sir, you need to make an appointment.”

“Look,” the man said, sounding aggravated. “I have come a very long way to see the sheriff and deliver something to him, and I know he would be very happy to see what I have brought. Can you please just get him?”

John emerged from his office to see his deputy eyeing a man in fatigues suspiciously. “What’s going on out here?”

“Sheriff, this man wants to see you. He doesn’t have an appointment.”

“Well, I have time now,” John replied, walking over to the two of them. “What can I do for you?”

“You’re Sheriff Stilinski?” the soldier asked.

“Yes, I am.”

“In that case, Sir,” the soldier began. “I have traveled thousands of miles and more hours than I want to remember to bring you something.”

“I don’t understand.”

The soldier smiled and turned, opening the door. Another soldier, this one much more familiar, came in and stood next to the first one. Everyone in the station gasped.

John couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he rushed over, wrapping Derek in a firm hug. “I knew you’d come back and you’d be just fine,” John said. “I take it Stiles has no idea? We were just talking about you at lunch today and he certainly didn’t give me the impression he had any idea about this.”

“He doesn’t even know I have finished my mission,” Derek replied. “I planned on surprising everyone, but I didn’t know where everyone would be today.”

“You’re in luck,” John replied. “Tonight is pack night. They started it not long after you left because they were having such a hard time with it. Everyone is meeting up at your house for dinner and movie night. I’ll call Stiles and tell him I might be bringing some guests so he’ll have enough food. I’ve brought deputies before; he won’t think anything of it.”

“What time?”

“Be there at six tonight, and I’ll make sure everyone’s there. If you don’t hear anything from me, then nothing has changed.”

“Got it,” Derek nodded. “By the way, this is Justin Ellis,” Derek said, gesturing towards the soldier next to him. “He’s joining the pack.”

“You served with Derek?” John asked.

“Yes, sir.”

Justin was startled when John pulled him into a hug as well. “Thank you for keeping him safe and bringing him home,” John said.

Justin glanced at Derek over the sheriff’s shoulder and smiled. “No problem, sir.”

“Call me John,” the sheriff said. “What do you boys plan on doing for the rest of the day?”

“We’re going to return my rental car and hang out in hopefully inconspicuous places where we won’t get caught,” Justin replied with a grin.

“Well, if you get bored and need somewhere to hang out, just come back here. We’ll keep your secret.”

“Thanks, John,” Derek nodded, shaking John’s hand. “You’re still okay with what we talked about last time I was home, right?”

John smiled and squeezed Derek’s shoulder. “You know I am.”

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

Stiles sighed as he unpacked the groceries he’d need for the night in his boyfriend’s kitchen, feeling another wave of melancholy wash over him as he gazed at the empty shelves.

“I don’t get why you don’t just live here,” Kira said as she grabbed some serving bowls for the snacks. “Derek said you should consider it your home, too. Why do you leave every time he gets deployed?”

“It hurts too much,” Stiles replied. “It doesn’t feel like home without him, especially when the pack goes home and it’s just me. I’ve tried a few times, but once I can’t smell him on his pillow or the sheets anymore, I just can’t do it. It’s too lonely and it does nothing but remind me he isn’t here. It wouldn’t be so bad if I wasn’t completely alone in this big house.”

“I admire you, you know,” Kira said, giving Stiles a tight hug. “I don’t know how you do it. I don’t think I could handle going through what you do if Scott were in Derek’s position. He’s been gone more than he’s been home the last four years, and the two years before that weren’t much better.”

“It’s unbelievably hard,” Stiles agreed, busying himself with making dinner. “Taking care of the pack helps take my mind off it. You guys aren’t exactly low-maintenance,” he teased.

“Hey!” Kira laughed, grabbing a chip from one of the snack bowls and throwing it at him.

“I’m serious!” Stiles said, laughing, too. “It doesn’t make me forget by any means, but it does help to distract me and give me something else to focus on. Throwing myself into my studies has helped, too. Why do you think I decided to go for my doctorate?”

“You did that for a distraction?”

“It works,” Stiles shrugged. “Working as a research assistant has helped, too. The less time I have to dwell on him not being here, the better off I am. The whole pack thing has rubbed off on me; I hate being alone, now. Thinking about him not being here just…” Stiles trailed off, and Kira wrinkled her nose in concern when his scent turned sour.

“None of that,” she said soothingly, giving him another hug. “I’m sorry for making you talk about this.”

“It’s okay,” Stiles replied, hugging her back. “It’s not like I don’t want to think about Derek. I love the sourwolf. I just miss him so much, you know?”

“I know,” Kira replied. “Can we have Rice Krispy treats tonight, Mom?”

Stiles grinned and shoved her away, brandishing a spatula at her. “Yes, but what have I told all of you about calling me that?”

Kira just grinned and shoved a bag of marshmallows at him.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

“Is that the one?” Ellis asked, peering over Derek’s shoulder.

“Yep,” Derek grinned, looking up at the shopkeeper in front of him. “Thank you for holding on to it for me.”

“No big deal,” the shopkeeper waved dismissively, handing a small bag to Derek. “It’s not like you hadn’t already paid for it.”

“Still,” Derek said, shaking the man’s hand. “I appreciate it.”

“Of course,” the man nodded as Ellis and Derek exited the shop just before six that evening.

“So now that we have _that_ taken care of,” Ellis said. “Do I get to see this marvelous house of yours?”

“Let’s go,” Derek grinned, pocketing the contents of the bag and climbing into Justin’s new car. “I can’t believe you bought this thing.”

“If I’m staying in this town, I’m gonna need wheels,” Ellis shrugged.

“But a hummer?”

“I liked the one I rented!”

“Obviously,” Derek snorted.

“At least your pack won’t recognize the sound of the vehicle,” Ellis grinned. “Now say thank you for helping with the surprise and give me the damn directions. I want to meet this little pixie of yours.”

“Oh, lord,” Derek grinned, shaking his head.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

“I thought you were bringing guests,” Stiles said to his dad as everyone gathered around the table for dinner.

“They’ll be here any minute,” John said, squeezing Stiles’ shoulder reassuringly. “Just be patient.”

“It’s rude to start dinner without everyone present,” Stiles grumbled. “They’re late and I’m having to listen to the children whine.”

“Hey!” Scott said, throwing a dinner roll at Stiles.

“What is it with you and Kira throwing things at me?” Stiles screeched, throwing the roll back, hitting Scott in the face with it. “Ha! Take that!”

“I think I hear a car,” Scott said, tilting his head towards the driveway. “I don’t recognize the vehicle though.”

“Danny, will you get the door for our guests?” Stiles asked as he put the finishing touches on the table.

“Stiles, maybe you should get the door,” John said.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Stiles waved dismissively. “Danny,  please go get the door.”

“’Kay,” Danny said, hurrying out of the dining room just in time for the doorbell.

“Best behavior, you lot,” Stiles said, giving them a warning glance. “No being rude to our guests.”

“I’d hardly say I’m a guest.”

Stiles whirled around, eyes wide, as the pack’s jaws dropped. “D-Derek?”

Ellis took Derek’s bag just in time for Stiles to launch himself at his boyfriend, throwing his arms around the wolf’s neck. “Derek!” Stiles choked out.

“Hi, Sweetheart,” Derek murmured, pressing his nose into Stiles’ neck and inhaling deeply. “I missed you.”

“What are you doing here?” Scott asked, slapping Derek on the back as the rest of the pack huddled around the pair in a group hug.

“My tour is over,” Derek grinned, touching all of them briefly on their necks before returning his attention to Stiles, the pack moving away to give them a bit of space.

“For how long?” Stiles choked, trying and failing to hold back his tears.

“For good,” Derek said, nuzzling Stiles lovingly. “My orders have changed. I’m going to be an instructor now for the wolf division. The base is a little over a half-hour’s drive. I will be home every night.”

Stiles hugged Derek tighter. “Thank you,” he mumbled. “Thank you so much for coming home safe.”

“About that…”

Stiles pulled back abruptly. “What?”

“I want you to meet someone,” Derek said, gesturing towards the soldier behind him. “Everyone, this is Justin Ellis. He’s going to be an instructor with me. He was my second when we were serving, and he’s going to be joining our pack.”

Before anyone could make a move to welcome him, Stiles launched himself at Justin. “Thank you for bringing him home,” Stiles said, hugging Justin tightly.

“Of course,” Justin replied.

Stiles pulled back and gave the two soldiers a withering glare. “How long have you two known you were coming home?”

“Uh,” Derek blinked, startled.

“I plea the 5th, and I’d like to point out it was all his idea,” Justin replied, pointing at Derek.

Stiles glared and smacked Justin on the shoulder.

“Ow!”

“That’s for throwing your alpha under the bus,” Stiles growled. Before Justin could say a word, Stiles smacked him again, harder.

“OW! What was _that_ for?”

“That was for listening to him!” Stiles said, rounding on Derek. “I have been worried sick about you, Sourwolf,” Stiles growled. “You should have called me the moment you knew you were coming home.”

“I wanted to surprise you,” Derek said, catching Stiles’ hand when his mate moved to smack him as well. He threaded their fingers together, pulling Stiles closer. “Did it work?”

Stiles gave a watery laugh. “Yes, it worked,” he said. “You’re lucky I’m so happy to see you I can’t be mad at you right now.”

“What if I could make you happier?”

“You can’t,” Stiles said, shaking his head. “You being here is everything I have wanted since you left. Nothing can make me happier than I am right now just having you home.”

“You might be wrong about that,” Ellis said in a sing-song voice.

Stiles raised an eyebrow at the other soldier. “Derek, what…” Stiles trailed off when Derek got down on one knee.

“Stiles,” Derek said, squeezing Stiles’ hand. “You’re my mate. That means you’re the other half of me, my missing piece. I’m incomplete without you. I know the past few years have been hard on you, but I can assure you we are never going to have to go through this again. At the end of the day, I want to come home to you. I want the world to know you’re my reason for living, the one thing that got me through so many hard nights in the desert or in a jungle on the other side of the world. I know we’re going to be together forever, and the pack knows it, but I want the world to know it. Stiles, I want to make what we have official, not just in the werewolf way, but in the human way as well,” Derek said, pulling out a small velvet box from his pocket. “Will you marry me?”

Stiles flung himself into Derek’s arms, pressing his lips firmly against the wolf’s.

“So…. Is that a yes?”

Stiles and Derek laughed and glanced up at Ellis, who was standing behind them with a smirk on his face.

“Yes, you idiot,” Derek said, cradling Stiles in his lap protectively.

“Are we going to have an official mating ceremony, too?” Stiles asked.

Derek glanced at him in surprise. “How did you even know about that?”

“I had a lot of spare time on my hands,” Stiles blushed, shrugging.

Derek just shook his head and pressed a kiss to Stiles’ forehead gently.

“Yes, we can. I think we should have a joining ceremony for Justin, too, since he’s joining the pack.”

“You guys really should have called me and told me you were coming home,” Stiles said, suddenly jumping up. “The next full moon is in four days! That’s ridiculously short notice.”

“I’ll take care of it if you tell me the requirements,” Kira said.

“I’ll plan your wedding!” Lydia said, jumping up. “Just tell me what date you want and I’ll take care of everything.”

“I already have an idea for a date,” Derek said, giving Stiles a hopeful look.

“What’s that?”

“I don’t know if you’ll like it. I think it would be rushing the plans a bit.”

“When, Derek?” Lydia and Stiles said at the same time.

“August 14th.”

“That’s like a month away!” Stiles gasped.

“Derek, are you insane? That’s such short notice,” Lydia said. “Besides, it’s a Thursday. You want a Friday evening or a Saturday so everyone will most likely have work off.

“It’s also exactly seven years after I told Stiles for the first time I loved him.”

Lydia’s jaw snapped shut as Stiles flung himself into Derek’s arms again. “I don’t know how you remember all these dates,” Stiles sniffed.

“Like how today is exactly seven years since you officially agreed to be my boyfriend?”

“I thought you guys started dating as soon as our junior year ended,” Scott said, confused. “So wouldn’t your anniversary or whatever be in May?”

“Yes, but it took him almost a month to actually agree to be my boyfriend,” Derek grinned, cupping Stiles’ cheek. Stiles leaned into the touch.

“Screw it, I’ll make it work,” Lydia said, typing away on her phone.

“I love you,” Stiles whispered, kissing Derek gently.

“I love you, too.”

“And I love both of you!” Ellis exclaimed, planting a sloppy kiss on Derek’s cheek and ruffling Stiles’ hair.

“Ellis,” Derek groaned.

“Dude, way to ruin a moment,” Stiles sighed in exasperation. “Your stray is another twelve-year-old, isn’t he?”

“Technically,” Ellis shrugged. “My age is divisible by 12, so let’s just say I’m like a pair of twelve-year-olds. It’s an accurate enough description.”

“Oh, Derek,” Stiles groaned, trying to hold back a laugh. “What have you done?”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to follow me on [Tumblr!](http://wyldewombat.tumblr.com/)


End file.
